UNITED STATES SENATE

The United States Senate is the
upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and
together with
the House of Representatives comprises
the
United States Congress. The
powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the US Constitution, and, also per
the Constitution, each State is represented by two Senators regardless of population with elected
Senators serving staggered six-year terms. Senators were elected by State Legislatures until the 1913
passage of the 17th Amendment mandating direct election of US Senators by the citizenry.

The chamber of the United States Senate is located in the north wing of the Capitol in Washington, DC (the
House of Representatives convenes in the south wing of the same building).

The Senate has several exclusive powers not granted to the House, including consenting to treaties as a
precondition to their ratification and consenting to or confirming appointments of Cabinet secretaries,
Federal judges and other Federal executive officials, military officers, regulatory officials, Ambassadors,
and other Federal uniformed officers. The Senate also acts as the jury for trials of Federal officials
impeached by the House, including United States Presidents.

The Senate is considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the House of
Representatives due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies leading to a
historically more collegial and less partisan atmosphere. The United States Senate is sometimes called
the "world's greatest deliberative body."